


Thunder, Lightning and Everything Frightening

by RailMeBarrow



Category: Downton Abbey
Genre: Fear, Feelings Realization, Frottage, M/M, Mutual Masturbation, Phobias, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-17
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-15 15:27:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28815633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RailMeBarrow/pseuds/RailMeBarrow
Summary: Jimmy ventures into Thomas's room after being scared by lightning.
Relationships: Thomas Barrow & Jimmy Kent, Thomas Barrow/Jimmy Kent
Kudos: 31





	Thunder, Lightning and Everything Frightening

Thomas awoke to a knocking at his door. He opened his eyes, groggily remarked the low light levels and checked the time. 1:30 in the morning. Who was knocking at his door at this hour?

The mystery caller knocked again. 

“Come in.” said Thomas, his voice thick and rough with sleep. Rain battered at his window as a blonde head poked its way around the door. Thomas squinted at the figure, the lack of light making it hard to see anything but a silhouette. A flash from outside lit the room for a split second, just long enough for Thomas to see who his visitor was. 

“Jimmy?” he asked, peering at the footman who stood shaking at the door. “What is it? Are you ok?” he lit a candle and sat up in his bed as Jimmy shook his head.

“I was just wondering mr barrow, if i- that is to say…” he stumbled over his words, his hands wringing and his eyes wide with fear. “Can i sleep in your room tonight thomas? Only its... um, its awfully cold in my room is all.”

“The cold never bothered you before.” remarked Thomas, his eyes narrowing in suspicion, “what is it jimmy? You can tell me…” Thomas thought back to Jimmy's behavior the previous evening, how he jumped at each flash of lightning and boom of thunder. Growing more and more agitated as the weather took hold. 

“Its the storm isnt it?” said Thomas, “are you scared of lightning?” 

Jimmy laughed anxiously, “of course not, my room’s just too cold.” Thomas looked at him knowingly. “Ok, fine, maybe i am a little scared of the thunder.” Thomas couldn't hold back a small snort at this, instantly apologising when he saw the hurt look on jimmys face.

“Im sorry Jimmy, I wasn't laughing at you, I swear. It's just, you have this big manly macho persona, but really you're just a little boy who's scared of thunder” he said, struggling to keep a straight face. 

“Now, just you wait a minute, I'm not a little boy and I'm not scared of the lightning, I just… find it hard to sleep with that racket! Yes that's it.” exclaimed Jimmy, but he knew Thomas wasn't convinced. 

“Sure you do jimmy. Where are you going to sleep? I've a spare blanket, but you'll have to sleep on the floor.” said Thomas, getting out of bed to look for the spare blanket in his wardrobe.

“That'd be great, ta.” said Jimmy, still embarrassed that he had revealed his secret to Thomas, but thankful the underbutler had offered him a place to stay until the storm blew over.

Thomas found the blanket he was looking for and laid it on the floor, taking his own pillow and throwing it to jimmy. 

“Wont you need this?” asked Jimmy, placing the pillow on the floor and getting under the tattered blanket Thomas had given him, trying to get comfortable on the hard wood floor.

“No, i'll be fine. Besides, my mattress is soft enough to go without, I can't say the same about the floor. Are you sure youll be ok down there?” he asked as he watched the footman shuffle and re-adjust, trying to find a good position. 

“Ill be fine, goodnight and thank you thomas” answered jimmy, turning so he didn't face thomas. 

“Goodnight jimmy.” whispered thomas, blowing out the candle and settling down to fall back to sleep. 

~~~

It was 2:13am and they were both still awake. Jimmy had spent the last hour huffing and puffing, constantly moving and grunting, the cacophony keeping Thomas awake. Jimmy sat up again, turning his pillow over, knowing his efforts were futile but hoping that this would finally make him comfy. 

He lay still for a few minutes and Thomas hoped, prayed, that he had fallen asleep and he would finally be able to get some rest. But his fantasy was quickly broken as Jimmy sat up again, grunting with frustration. 

“For god's sake jimmy, go to sleep.” snapped Thomas, tired and at the end of his tether. 

“Can't you see i'm trying?” hissed jimmy. “It's the damn floor! It's too hard, if I ever do get to sleep, i'm gonna have a crick in my back for weeks.” He rubbed his back to emphasise his discomfort. 

“Urgh fine, you can sleep in here. Just for tonight though, I want you back in your own bed by tomorrow. Bring the pillow, my neck hurts.” ordered thomas. Jimmy instantly stood up and picked up the pillow, fatigue making him ignore his usual reluctances to sleep next to a man of Thomas's sort. 

He stood nervously by Thomas's bed, suddenly looking sheepish. “No funny business though…” he said, still slightly suspicious of thomas. 

“No funny business.” said Thomas, his sleepy face now serious. “I promise.” and with that Jimmy crawled into Thomas's bed, letting out a sigh of relief as the warm blanket covered his body, the mattress underneath him moulding to his body, soft and comfortable. 

They lay back to back, Thomas facing the cream wall, Jimmy facing the door. “Goodnight thomas” said jimmy, closing his eyes, already feeling reality slip away.

“Goodnight jimmy, see you in the morning.” answered thomas, remarking that at any other time, he would have been cock-a-hoop to have jimmy in his bed. But right now he just wanted to sleep. He shut his eyes and drifted into a restful slumber. 

~~~

Thomas awoke slowly, feeling a gentle pressure between his legs and the rhythmic motion of something rubbing against his thigh. He slid one hand down his body to gently stroke his burgeoning erection. He yawned as he opened his eyes, relishing the combined feeling of his own hand and whatever was causing the gentle pressure.

Then he looked over. 

Jimmys sleeping face was pressed against the pillow, a soft moan escaping his mouth as he ground his erection once more into Thomas's leg. Thomas froze still. If he woke jimmy now, he might be accused of touching him in his sleep, and there was no chance he'd keep his job with an accusation like that going around. 

On the other hand, if he ignored what Jimmy was doing and allowed him to continue, it would lead to a very embarrassing mess on jimmys half, and possibly Thomas's. As he lay there, silently debating, the decision was made for him.

Jimmy awoke with a groan, his hips still pistoning against thomas. His hazel eyes locked with Thomas' grey ones as he suddenly realised what he was doing. He flung himself back and almost off the bed, Thomas's strong arms catching him just in time. 

He looked up at Thomas and unwillingly moaned, his hand flying to his cock, on the verge of completion. “Do ya mind if i…” asked jimmy, gesturing to his crotch with his free hand. 

Thomas shook his head, black hair falling into his eyes. “No, go ahead… actually do you mind if i… also? Only i find myself in a similar state…”

“Of course, of course.” said Jimmy, thinking it would be unfair to deny Thomas after he so graciously allowed him. He slid his left hand back down his body, taking himself in his palm and running his hand up and down his length. 

To his right, Thomas did the same, his injured hand grasping at the sheets as he rolled his palm over his head, moaning quietly. He moved his hand down to the base, squeezing periodically, until his hand brushed against his black hair. He felt his cock twitch as Jimmy keened beside him.

No, he thought, Jimmy was his friend now, it wasn't proper to think about him as he wanked himself off. Think of someone else. Anyone. His mind drifted to Philip, warm summer nights spent together, Philip inside him, moving quickly. He groaned in frustration as he realised this wasnt helping him, quite the opposite in fact. 

His mind wandered back to the man next to him, panting and furiously tugging at himself. Jimmy moaned as he neared completion, desperately thrusting his hips upward, chasing his orgasm, which only seemed to be getting further and further away. “Fuck, fuck, fuck… oh god i- i cant-” he moaned as he rutted into his hand. 

“Ohhhh… oh lord…” moaned Thomas, equally on edge as jimmy. “Please- i… oh fuck i need- i… jim-” thomas stopped, suddenly realising what he had said. Jimmy turned to look at him and slowly crawled on top of him.

He ground his crotch into Thomas's at a leisurely pace, driven on by the soft keening of the underbutler below him. “Jimmy… oh god jimmy- ohhhh fuck yes just like that” moaned thomas, he head thrown back, his nails scraping at jimmys back. 

In a sudden bout of confidence, Jimmy lowered his head and caught the underbutlers lips between his own, kissing him softly as his hips picked up the pace, ploughing Thomas into the mattress. He felt Thomas moan against his lips, opening his mouth to allow Jimmy's tongue in. 

Eventually Jimmy pulled away, thrusting harder and faster against Thomas, his completion nearing. Judging by the noises he was making, Thomas was close as well.

“Thomas i- argh fuck oh god… oh thomas i need- im gonna…”

“Oh lord… ohhhh fuck jimmy- oh god im close- i… hnggg” 

They moaned through their completion together, their seed splattering onto Thomas's belly as Jimmy flopped down beside him, panting. The footman turned to Thomas, looking into his eyes and kissed him softly, full of love, not lust.

Thomas kissed him back, his right hand going to rest on Jimmy's waist as Jimmy cupped his face. After a while, Jimmy pulled back for air. 

“What's the time? I should be getting back to my room before anyone wakes up…” he asked, not wanting to leave. Thomas looked over him to where a clock sat on his bedside table.

“Five thirty. You should be getting back.” said thomas, his voice thick with sadness that this was all over, jimmy would go back to his room and everything would go back to normal. A tear slipped out of his eye. Thomas sniffed, hoping Jimmy hadn't noticed how soft he was being. He did.

“Hey, hey, what's the matter?” asked Jimmy, bringing his hand up to brush the tear away. “You know i'll be back tomorrow night yeah?” 

“Really?” asked Thomas, hardly believing his ears. 

“Course i will you silly muppet. I love you. It's taken me a few years, a thunderstorm and sleeping on the floor to realise it but i have now. I love you thomas.” he left a small peck on thomas’s cheek before getting up. “I really do have to leave. See you at breakfast thomas… i love you.”

“I love you too.”

**Author's Note:**

> i wrote this all in one sitting wtf. anyway i hope yall enjoyed it, please leave a comment or kudos if you did <3


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